Kronos on Stage

Perhaps your notion of a string quartet, or chamber music in general, is informed by Mozart or Beethoven, or--for the more adventurous--Schoenberg. If so, get ready for something completely different: the Kronos Quartet performing two avant-garde works, George Crumb's “Black Angels” and Tan Dun's “Ghost Opera.” Part concert, part performance art, both Dolby Digital 5.1 presented pieces find the Kronos musicians playing not only their respective violins, violas and cellos, but also an array of other "instruments," ranging from gongs and shakers to sheets of paper, rocks, glasses of water and even water itself. Crumb's “Black Angels,” a meditation on the Vietnam War, contains moments of both furious cacophony and whispering beauty, while “Ghost Opera” is rich in traditional folk elements and matches the Kronos players with Chinese musician Wu Man, who wails on the banjo-like pipa. Sporting great work by all concerned--including director Manfred Waffender, who does a superb job of capturing the performance's theatrical elements without resorting to meretricious effects or camera moves--Kronos on Stage isn't for everyone, but it's very highly recommended for serious listeners. Aud: P. (S. Graham)